Coin separator



April 17 1945. B. w. FRY 2,374,007

COIN SEPARATOR Filed May 31, 1941 2 ShetS-Sheet l J9 T Z2 B0 Z6 Z4 Z9 Will]! A ril 17, 1945. yv, FRY 2,374,007

COIN SEPARATOR Filed May 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 20 -52 JA Z4 4 J5 V/ L, 01 26 J ZZ Y mun; 37 7 5; J5

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h f Z5 J7 76 Jag/am Patented Apr. 17, 19 45 com SEPARA'IQR Benjamin W. Fry, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to National Slug Rejectors, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a

corporation of Missouri Application May 31, 1941, Serial No. 396,122

3 Claims. (Cl. 19497) different diameters and for arresting coins having deformations in their surfaces.

In previous coin selectors various mechanism has been utilized to separate coins having diameters less than the diameter of acceptable coins, which mechanisms usually arrested the undersized coin and required a manual scavenging operation to free the device of the arrested coin prior to the testing of subsequent coins inserted, and in addition, such mechanism usually included additional means for arresting spurious coins having deformed surfaces.

Mechanisms of this character were complicated and troublesome whereas in the present invention the problem is solved in an efiicient and direct manner whereby undersized coins are automatically ejected without an additional scaveng ing operation and coins having deformed surfaces are arrested by one of the elements used for rejecting the undersized coins.

A principal object of the invention is the proing a coin having a diameter less than acceptable size when the said coin is propelled in the device under the influenceof gravity. v

Another object of the invention is the inclusion of means for arresting spurious coins having deformed surfaces. 7

A further object of the invention is the provision of apparatus for scavenging coins or articles arrested or lodged in the coin passage of the coin separator.

With these and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of elements described, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, the same as Fig. 2, except that certain elements are shown in their displaced positions. r

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional end view taken generally on the line 4--4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation taken through the section line 55, Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 with certain outside elements removed.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through section line 1-1, Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through section line 8-8, Fig. 6.

This invention relates to improvements in a well known type of coin selector wherein coins are deposited under the influence of gravity in the upper end and are propelled through a dense magnetic field to determine their relative conductivity, and thence are projected in a' free trajectory to an anvil,-whereby the impingement of the coins thereupon determines the relative resilience of the coins, to select genuine coins from spurious coins. Since the conductivity and resiliency tests are well known, detailed description of this part of the present invention will be omitted and the description directed to the novel meansemployed for rejecting undersized coins and coins having deformations in their surfaces.

The main plate I, Fig. 1, serves as a frame for the entire device upon which the various elements are mounted. A gate 2, pivotally mounted to the plate i at pivots 3 and 4, is normally urged into close proximity with the inside surface of the plate I by the action of spring 5 retained by pivot 3. The pivot shank is secured to the main plate I by lug 39 shown in Fig. 6. Spring 5 is secured to one end of stud 6 on the gate and surrounding shank 38 of pivot 3 with its opposite end urged into contact with the surface of the plate I.

The gate 2 provides one lateral wall and thelower runway of the passagewa for acceptable coins directed to a magnetic field. The inside surface of the plate I serves as the opposite latteral wall with a space therebetween for the passage of coins. Hopper 'l is secured to one side of the plate I and provides a laterally displaced passageway for rejected coins.

Fig. 6 shows the mechanism in Fig. l with the hopper I removed, exposing the internal parts of the device. Plate 8 is secured to the main plate I with sufiicient space therebetween to form a continuation of a runway through which the passage of coins of acceptable diameter are guided. A cross sectional view of plate 8 is shown in Fig. 8.

Coins are inserted in the space provided in the upper portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 5 (a typical coin is illustrated by dotted lines I0 and are propelled downward by the action of gravity. The abutment II is moved laterally by the action of the coin out of its normal position and efiects the removal of projection I2, normally lying in the path of the coin. The action of the latter two elements will be hereinafter described.

The downward descent of a coin is arrested by/ netic field produced by a bi-pole permanent magnet ll and thence in a free trajectory to the anvil it where the coin will either rebound over obstruotion i 5 into the acceptance passageway or fall short of theobstruction and descend into the rejection passageway 11, dependent upon the resilience of the coin.

The means for effecting the lateral displacement of the undersized coin is dependent upon the operation of the following elements. Referring to Fig. 2, bell crank is shown in its normal inactive position pivotally mounted to the main plate I at 2| and has an integral abutment H, protruding through the aperture 9 in plate i, adapted to normally lie in the path of the downward moving coin. A coin displacing crank 22 is pivoted to operate at right angles to bell crank 20 by a pivot support 23 affixed to the main plate I. An arm 24, integral with the crank 22 is adapted to cooperate with the lower arm of the bell crank 20. The upper end of crank 22 terminates in a projection l2 having arounded end normally protruding into the coin pathway through a clearance aperture in the main plate, better shown in Fig. 4, where the projection is in its normal position in the coin passageway.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, a light sensitive spring 26, secured to the main plate by rivet 21, normally urges the crank 22 in its inward position, as shown in Fig. 4, and through the contact of crank arm 24 and arm 25 of the bell crank 20, the abutment H is held in its normal position, shown in Figs. 2 and 6. It is now obvious that when the abutment l l is moved by the passage of a coin in the entrance passageway, the projection i2 will be withdrawn from the passageway a distance direcly proportional to the distance the abutment II is moved.

A fiat spring 28, Figs. 1 and 4, is secured to the hopper 1 by screw 29. The formed end of the spring 28 projects through suitable clearance hole in the hopper 1 into a predetermined position in the aperture IQ for the purpose of assisting the rejection of undersized coins, to be hereinafter described.

Fig. 2 shows a well known scavenging lever 30,

which is pivotally mounted to the main plate at 31, and normally retained in its upward position, shown in Fig. 2, by spring 32 retained by the pivot 31. One end of said spring is affixed to a bracket 33 secured to the main plate. The upper extremity of the spring 32 rests against the inside surface of the upper offset portion of the lever 30. A camming surface 34, Fig. 2, is adapted to engage the upper extremity of hell crank 20 when the lever 30 is depressed and move the crank 20 into its displaced position, as shown in Fig. 3. The scavenger lever 30 is retained in working proximity with the face of the main plate by the head of a flanged rivet 42 aflixed to the main plate.

When the scavenger lever 30 is moved to its downward position, a second camming surface 35, extending through an aperture in the main plate I at right angles to the lever, engages a roller 36 on the gate stud 6, shown in Fig. 2, to move the gate about its pivots 3 and l to its outward displaced position, as shown in Fig. 5. nderweight and deformed coins which may have been suspended on the land It in contact with projection 12 are released as a result of the displacement of the land I! and the movement of projection 25 of lever 20 engaging the offset 24 of the lever 22 to retrieve the projection l2. Thus the suspended coins are permitted to drop by gravity on to the lateral proiection I8 and thence to the rejection hopper 1, shown in Fig. 5. The movement of the gate 2 away from the main plate I also serves to release any coins or debris suspended in the coin passages by virtue of the coin or debris being moved in contact with the fixed spring 23 which movement will dislodge the coin or debris irom the land I3.

A screw 31 is provided in the lower portion of the gate to normally act as an adjustment stop to position the gate with respect to the main plate i. Since this screw is positioned behind the spring 28, the head of the screw will move the end of the spring out of the aperture I9 when the gate 2 is moved into its displaced position. Thus. all passages are open to permit the free passage of articles suspended therein when the scavenger lever is moved to its downward position.

It will be shown in the following description that when a coin of proper diameter but having a hole through its center or having deformed faces, is inserted in the coin passageway the end of the projection 12, Figs. 2 and 4, is adapted to engage the hole or deformed face oi the coin, and either hold it from further travel along the land l3 toward the acceptance passageway, or retard its velocity sufficiently so the coin will later be rejected by the magnetic and rebound testing means.

In operation, and assuming a coin of proper dameter and form is deposited in the entrance passage, shown in Fig. 6, the coin will descend, under the influence of gravity, and impinge upon the abutment H, whereupon the bell crank 20, better shown in Fig. 2, will move about its pivot 2i sufliciently far in a counter-clockwise direction to retrieve the projection i2 a distance from the coin passage against the restraining action of spring 26 to permit the coin of acceptable diameter to fall upon land l3 unimpeded. At this point the largest diameter of the coin having passed the abutment! I, the bell crank 20, and the crank 22, will move. toward their rest positions by virtue of spring 26 which will cause the projection l2 to lightly contact the face of the coin as it travels down the land for further test by the magnetic field and anvil. The coin will not escape through the aperture is as the aperture has a fixed diameter slightly under that of a coin of proper diameter, thus preventing the coin from passing therethrough.

In the event a coin having a diameter less than that of an acceptable coin is deposited in the entrance passageway of the device, the abutment H and the bell crank 20 will not move sufiiciently far to completely withdraw the rounded end of the projection 12 from it path. The edge of the undersize coin will strike the rounded end of the projection l2 and move the crank 22 against the restraining action of spring 26 until the coins vertical descent is arrested by contact with the land l3, whereupon the projection l2 still in contact with. the face of the coin, will deflect the coin into the aperture l8 by virtue of the urging action of spring 26. The position of the undersize coin at this time is shown in Fig. 4. A tilting action is assured by the contact of the end of spring 28 with th lower portion of the coin. The continued downward movement of the coin along the land I: will cause its leading edge as'moo'r to contact the outer curved portion 8-s of the plate 8 shown in Figs. 6 and 7, whereby the 'coin will be deflected over the sloping surface "-3 of the land l3, where it will strike the lateral projection l8 and be impinged into the rejection hopper 1 and thence to the rejection passageway l1.

In the event that a coin having the proper diameter but having a hole therein or other surface deformations on its faces, s deposited in the device, it is apparent that when the center of the descending coin has passed the abutment I I, and the cranks and 22 under the influence of spring 26 will return toward their normal rest positions which will permit the abutment l2 to press against the face of the coin as it begins its travel along the land I3. rounded end of the projection I2 will engage a hole or other deformation in the face of the coin and arrest its motion completely or at least retard its motion sufliciently so as to prevent its attaining sufllcient velocity to be accepted by the magnetic and impact means heretofore described.

The sectional view, Fig. 7, shows the tilting action of an undersized coin at the. moment it At this point the makes contact with the projection l2 and the' spring 28. Thus, a very precise means of rejection of undersized coins within very close limits is possible through an accurate adjustment of the operating elements described, the rejection of undersized coins being completely automatic and not dependent upon manual operation.

As previously described, it is obvious that th .manual downward operation of the scavenger lever in will withdraw all projections from the coin passageways and open the gate 2 and thus release any defective coins or debris which may have been retained in the coin passageways.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a coin separator, a frame, mean forming an entrance passageway in said frame for conducting coins under the influence of gravity, lever means pivotally mounted on said frame having an abutment extending in said passageway normally in the path of said coins and pivoted to move in a direction parallel to the movement of said coins, a second lever means pivotally mounted to said frame and positioned for cooperative movement by the first said lever means, an integral projection on said second lever means for intersecting said passageway substantially at right angles to the movement of said first lever means, means for urging both the first and second lever means into their normal position; with said abutment and said projection extending into the said passageway, whereby the edge of a deformed coin moving through said passageway will strike the said abutment and simultaneously move said first and second lever means to with- .draw said projection from the path of the lead- 2. In a coin separator, a'frame, means forming an entrance passageway in said frame for conducting coins under the influence of gravity,

an aperture in one side of said passageway for .by-passing undersize coins, lever means pivotally mounted on said frame having an abutment extending in said passageway normally in the path of said coins and pivoted to move in a direction parallel to the movement ,of said coins, a second lever means pivotally mounted to said frame and positioned for cooperative movement by the first said lever means, an integral projection on said second lever means for intersecting said passageway substantially at right angles to the movement of said first lever means and adjacent to said aperture, means for urging both the first and second lever means into their normal positions with said abutment and said projection extending into the said passageway, whereby the edge of an undersize coin maving through said passageway will strike the said abutment and simultaneously move said first and second lever means to withdraw said projection from the path of the leading edge of said coin, and whereby the further movement of said coin beyond said abutment will permit said second lever means to urge the projection in reversed direction to bear against one face of said coin to by-pass said undersize coin from said passageway through said aperture to select an undersize coin from coins of acceptable diameter.

3. In a coin separator, a frame, means form- 'ing an entrance passageway in said frame for said frame having an abutment extending in said passageway normally in the path of said coins and pivoted to move in a.direction parallel to the movement of said coins, a second lever means pivotally mounted to said frame and positioned for cooperative movement by the first said lever means, an integral projection on said second lever means for intersecting said passageway substantially at right angles to the movement of said first lever'means and adjacent to said aperture,

means for urging both the first and second lever means into their normal positions with said abutment and said projection extending into the said passageway, whereby the edge of an undersize coin moving through said passageway will strike the said abutment and simultaneously move said first and second lever means to withdraw said projection from the pathiof the leading edge of said coin, and whereby the further movement of said coin beyond said abutment will permit said second -lever means to urge the said projection in reversed direction to bear against one face of said coin when its opposite face is in contact with the end of said tiltingmember to tilt and by-pass said coin from said passagewa thro h aperture to select an y u: said of acceptable diameter.

BENJAMIN W. FRY.

undersize coin from coins 

